Booty 45+2, Brown 111
AET Gateshead won 5-4 on penalties
Beck 69, 99 (pen)
Gateshead win 5-4 on pens
IF EVER a final summed up the glory, heartbreak, agony and ecstasy of football this was it.
For Gateshead, pure joy. Victory under Wembley‘s arch after twice finishing on the losing side, the most recent just 12 months ago in this very game.
For Solihull, the ultimate gut-wrenching defeat, six days after the same penalty fate on this pitch to Bromley in the National League Promotion final.
Quite how Andy Whing’s side hauled themselves off the deck to go the distance again is anyone’s guess. Behind to Regan Booty’s opener, Mark Beck forced extra time before smashing in a penalty for the lead.
But Derby County starlet Dajaune Brown levelled with ten minutes left and then stepped up at the end of an epic shoot-out to fire a decisive spot-kick.
Football can be the cruellest of sports. Tyrese Shade and Joss Labadie both missed their kicks in the final against Bromley. Both blazed off target here too and although Moors keeper Nick Hayes made three penalty saves, Alex Whitmore crashed off the bar allowing Brown to finish it.
Rob Elliot’s Gateshead were seeking redemption of their own. The Heed’s play-off dream was taken out of their hands just hours after the regular season.
Elliot’s Heed would have travelled to Moors in the eliminator game but by Sunday morning they had been barred from competing having unsuccessfully appealed an EFL decision that they don’t meet membership criteria.
It centres on having, or not as is their case, the required ten-year security of tenure on their International Stadium home.
Rather than let a season’s work go up in smoke, Wembley provided an outlet for their sense of injustice – as well as a chance to avenge last year’s FA Trophy loss to FC Halifax Town.
Chances were traded early on by both sides. Brown was inches away from getting to the lively Luke Hannant’s fizzing cross before Moors defender Whitmore headed off target.
Moors’ Jay Benn then did brilliantly to get in the way to turn Ed Francis’ point-blank header behind while Heed stopper James Montgomery had to be sharp to hold Nana Boateng’s shot.
Gateshead looked sure to open the scoring on 40 minutes through Greg Olley after an incisive move. The 28-yearold’s first touch was perfect and allowed him to glide into an opening in Moors’ defence but, with only Hayes to beat, he flashed his shot the wrong side of the post.
They led with seconds left of the half. Brown got clear on the left and squared for Booty to slide in six yards out.
Moors had a golden chance to level two minutes after the restart. Beck was on the same spot as Booty was for his goal. The only difference being the touch from Shade’s delivery took the ball away from goal and the Heed scrambled clear as Joe Sbarra was waiting to pounce on the loose ball.
Hannant flashed in another cross no one could connect with before keeper Montgomery spread himself wide to make a crucial save to keep out Boateng.
They almost made Moors pay. First Brown robbed Whitmore to get in behind but his cross was wayward with Olley arriving in the centre, while Francis – after some intricate build-up – drilled a low shot that was beaten away by Hayes.
There was nothing Montgomery could do on 69 minutes when Beck – twice a Wembley winner with Harrogate Town – levelled.
Joe Newton clipped over a ball that strikers like Beck live on – and he steadied himself before firing a diving header into the net.
With renewed belief, Whing’s side went searching of another. Just two minutes later they could have led. Sbarra scampered on to Matty Warbuton’s through ball and while his shot beat Montgomery, it slid wide.
Gateshead had penalty shout waved away by referee – and former Bath City and Chippenham midfielder – Sam Allison when Kieron Evans was fouled by Whitmore after chopping his way into the box.
Evans was denied by Hayes’ legs early on in extra time after being played in by Brown before Moors led on 101 minutes.
Allison ruled Beck had been hauled down by Louis Storey in the box and the big striker placed his penalty beyond Montgomery.
Brown headed Evans’ cross wide when well placed as the Heed looked to respond and, in the second period of extra-time, poked over with the ball moving away from him.
He couldn’t miss on 110 minutes. Booty lofted to the back post where Tom Allan cushioned back across goal for the arriving Brown to crash the ball into net.
Luck or skill? Penalty shoot-outs are so often fine margins. It was three-apiece after five kicks each, Labadie missed and Allan spurned a chance to win it. But Brown was on hand when his chance came along to roll the Heed to victory.
STAR MAN: Mark Beck (Solihull) ATT: 19,964
ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Sam Allison
